CASE STUDY:

The Michigan Lottery

Listen.

For the Michigan Lottery, it’s always been about more than just games. And for us, it’s been nearly 30 years of partnership built on trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to doing great work.

To do that well, we look at the bigger picture—the players buying the tickets, the retailers selling them, the educators benefiting from them, and even the people who may never play at all. Because every ticket sold helps support Michigan classrooms, and that gives the work a much deeper purpose.

And as a state-run business that goes through review every five years, that partnership is never something we take for granted. It’s something we have to earn again and again.

Think.

The Lottery portfolio is massive: jackpot and daily games, instant tickets, even online play.

Each one speaks to a different audience, in a different way. Our job is to keep every game feeling fresh and engaging while building a strategy that strengthens the brand as a whole.

Do.

Over the years, we’ve launched new games, developed breakthrough campaigns, and built media strategies that keep players coming back.

And as the Lottery evolved, from retail counters to online play and billion-dollar jackpots, we evolved right along with it.

Results:

SMZ has been the Lottery’s Agency of Record since 1996.

Today, the Lottery generates nearly $5 billion in annual sales. Even more importantly, it’s contributed over $1 billion to Michigan public schools each year for the past six years, and more than $29 billion overall. That’s advertising that actually makes a difference—and that’s exactly what we’re here to do.